Transcript Hazardous Materials - Louisiana State University

Hazardous Materials
Hazmat Response
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Firefighters are 6 times more likely to be injured
on a hazmat incident than at a structure fire
Most calls do not come in as hazmat calls
initially
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Difficulty breathing
Suspicious odor
Person down
Motor vehicle accidents
Hazmat Dangers
Effects
 Thermal
 Mechanical
 Poisonous
 Corrosive
 Asphyxiation
 Radiation
 Etiological
Methods of Entry
 Inhalation
 Ingestion
 Absorption
 Injection
Containers
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Cardboard boxes
Bottles
Bags
Drums
Cylinders
Totes
Bulk tanks
Containers
NFPA 704
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Health hazard – Blue.
Fire hazard – Red.
Reactivity hazard –
Yellow.
Special Hazard – White.
The 9 Hazard Classes
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Class 1
Class 2
Gases
Class 3
Liquids
Class 4
Solids
Class 5
Class 6
Class 7
Class 8
Class 9
Explosives
Compressed
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Flammable
Flammable
Oxidizers
Poisons
Radioactives
Corrosives
Miscellaneous
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Every
Good
Firefighter
Fries
Onions
Plus
Roast
Chicken
Monthly
Class 1, Explosives
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Division 1.1 (Mass Hazard)
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Division 1.2 (Projectile
hazards)
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Division 1.3 (fire or minor
blast hazards )
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Division 1.4 (Minor
explosion)
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Division 1.5 (Very
insensitive)
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Division 1.6 (very
insensitive/ no mass hazard)
Class 2, Gases
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Division 2.1 (flammable
gases)
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Division 2.2 (non-
flammable, nonpoisonous, pressurized
gases, including
cryogenics)
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Division 2.3 (poisonous
gases)
Class 3, Flammable Liquids
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Flash point less than
100 degrees F.
Combustible liquids
are those with flash
points between 100200 degrees F.
Class 4, Flammable Solids
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Division 4.1 (wetted
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Division 4.2
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explosives and self
reactives)
(spontaneously
combustible)
Division 4.3 (dangerous
when wet; water
reactive)
Class 5, Oxidizers and Organic
Peroxides
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Division 5.1 (materials
that can produce their
own oxygen)
Division 5.2 (organic
peroxides that can
explode or polymerize)
Type 6, Poisonous Materials
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Division 6.1 (toxic
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Division 6.2
materials)
(microorganisms &
their toxins that could
cause disease)
Class 7, Radioactive Materials
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Materials determined
to have radioactivity
at certain levels.
Radioactive I.
Radioactive II.
Radioactive III.
Class 8, Corrosives
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Acids
Bases
Visible destruction in
skin or corrodes steel
or aluminum.
Class 9, Miscellaneous
Hazardous
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Catchall category.
DECIDE Method
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Detect the presence of hazardous material
Estimate likely harm
Choose response objectives
Identify action options
Do the best option
Evaluate progress
Chain of Priorities
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Safety
Isolation
Notification
Command
Identification
Action Plan
Safety
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Safety is always our first concern. We
cant help resolve the situation if we
become victims ourselves.
Keep a safe distance from the scene
using the “thumb method”.
Stay uphill, upwind, upstream, and avoid
sources of contamination.
Isolation
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Stop traffic, block roads, deny entry into
the area
Triage victims and bystanders as to who
was in contact with the substance and
who was not, keep contaminated people
isolated.
Set up an exclusion zone based on your
“rule of thumb” as initial isolation
Notification
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With the larger hazmat incidents, we’re
going to need help, some of it highly
specialized.
Its best to get these resources moving
early, you can always turn them around if
it turns out to be nothing.
Have dispatch order requested resources.
Identification
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3 different sources of information
for chemical identification should
be used
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The NAERG DOT guide will give
excellent information on initial
response actions
NIOSH guides will give chemical
properties and toxicity data
Shipping papers should be carried
with the transported materials
Action Plan
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Your action plan should
be based on mitigating
a worst case scenario
of the materials and
situations involved
Consider the following;
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You must have a safety
plan as well if
something goes wrong!
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Have both plans written
down.
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Safety
Chemical properties
Rescue
Air monitoring
Residents/businesses
Liquid flow paths
Exposures
Traffic movement
Weather
Decon/disposal